


Cap

by yeaka



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 05:57:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4379864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo witnesses a fight and sleeps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cap

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Fill for anon’s “Company member of your choice overhears Fili and Kili arguing in whispers one night. After the troll and goblins ect, Fili wants Kili to share bedrolls with him so they won't be separated again. But Kili doesn't want anyone to think him a child (even Dori isn't going that far!) so he's refusing. They stomp off in different directions and our eavesdropper heads to bed himself, not wanting to get involved. He wakes up later for his watch shift though, and finds Fili and Kili all cuddled up together with their bedrolls wrapped around them” prompt on [the Hobbit Kink Meme](http://hobbit-kink.livejournal.com/10731.html?thread=22697451#t22697451).
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own The Hobbit or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

It’s one of _those_ nights, where he misses his mattress more than anything: the big, comfy, fluffy bed he had all the way back in Bag End that’s just collecting dust. The hard rocks and gnarled branches of the forest floor are a harsh contrast, the hunger in his stomach making it worse. He misses his pantry. He misses his slippers. He misses having walls between him and other people, whereas now, every time he’s finally about to sleep, someone will grunt or snort and he’ll be wide awake again.

He shouldn’t have settled down next to Dwalin. He thought Dwalin would be good protection, being so very big and strong and generally gruff and scary, but he also snores something fierce. So Bilbo rolls over, where Fíli’s supposed to be nestled on his other side, only he’s pretty sure it’s Kíli’s back that’s to him. The light that comes through the trees is negligible, but Bilbo has good eyes, and he would recognize Fíli’s golden hair. The hair in front of him is dark, and then a thick arm wraps over the waist of the person, and Bilbo knows Fíli’s still there.

“I wish you’d just stay here,” Fíli murmurs through the blackness, clearly just meant for Kíli’s ears, but Bilbo’s too close to block it out. He shuts his eyes and tries to ignore them—it’s still quieter than Dwalin—but he still hears Kíli’s begrudging whine. 

“I can’t. They’ll think I’m a baby.”

“No they won’t,” Fíli scoffs. “They’ve seen what you can do. You’ve fought trolls and goblins and wargs. And if any of those things attack again, I don’t want to be separated from you.”

“I don’t want to be apart from you either, Fí,” Kíli mumbles, “But even Dori doesn’t sleep with Ori. It’ll look like you’re coddling me.”

“Why can’t we be coddling each other?”

“Because people think of you as the prince,” Kíli mutters. It’s all in soft, barely-there whispers, but Bilbo can still tell there’s no resentment in Kíli’s voice. He’s frustrated, but not over that. “They think of me as the baby of the group, and it’ll be worse if I still sleep with you...”

“No, they don’t,” Fíli insists, irritation creeping in. Bilbo’s never thought of Kíli as a child, but then, _all_ the dwarves are big to him, and he’s really too tired right now to care. “And anyway, what do you care what they all think?”

There’s a slight shuffling noise, but Bilbo doesn’t bother opening his eyes—maybe they’ve shoved each other; dwarves seem prone to do that. Kíli grumbles, “They won’t respect us.”

Fíli hisses, “They’re asleep.”

A yawn rips its way out of Bilbo’s throat, and it overcomes whatever Kíli retorts. Bilbo doesn’t bother trying to stifle it—let them know he’s awake—he just wants them to stop and let him sleep. They’re acting like the children they don’t want to be, and frankly, if Bilbo had someone warm and soft to snuggle with like a plump, familiar dwarf, he’d probably cuddle with them, too, proper hobbit standards be damned.

But by now their fight is in full force, and there’s a hushed flurry of movement. Bilbo can’t resist opening one eye, to see Kíli climbing up and stomping off, Fíli glaring after him, looking ready to do the same. But after a moment, he just falls down, growling in aggravation. Bilbo tries to ignore him. Of course Bilbo hopes they work it out, but tomorrow, when he’s had a chance to _rest_.

The next thing he knows, he’s walking into the Green Dragon Inn, only it isn’t an inn anymore. Bofur greets him at the door, shaking his hand, and he’s ushered onto a very tall stool. Then Nori comes up behind him and starts trimming his hair, and Bilbo realizes with a groggy sort of horror that Nori’s set up a barbershop right in the Shire, and all Bilbo’s neighbours are now sporting very odd shapes and braids atop their heads. He turns sideways to speak to Gandalf about it, just in time to see Thorin taking off Gandalf’s beard. It comes right off in one clean go, all at once. Thorin’s wearing a white apron and starts spreading honey with a brush over Gandalf’s bare chin, which looks very fuzzy to Bilbo, as though reality can’t quite decide what a beardless Gandalf looks like and is so having trouble displaying it, although Bilbo still understands what’s happened. Balin pats his shoulder, and Bilbo thinks of asking him to lend Gandalf some beard—Balin certainly has enough for two.

But Balin only says, “It’s your time for watch,” and Bilbo blinks, wanting to say, _A fine job of watch you did, letting Nori put strange triangles in all my friends’ hair._

He’s shaken slightly, and his eyes blink dazedly up, offended by the glare of moonlight. Balin’s silhouetted over him, murmuring, “Bilbo. Bilbo, wake up. It’s your turn.”

It still takes Bilbo a few seconds to realize what turn Balin’s talking about. Then he yawns and nods, sitting slowly up on his elbows, while Balin smiles kindly and putters off.

When Bilbo climbs to his feet, he realizes that Kíli’s wandered back. The two of them are sleeping on the same bed roll, curled tightly together, so close that their noses are pressing into each other and their hair’s interlaced between. It gives Bilbo a sleepy smile: for all their rambunctious dwarfishness, they’re very cute together. 

It’s just too bad they couldn’t have been so earlier. Perhaps then Bilbo would’ve fallen asleep in time to stop the wild dream he now can’t quite remember.

He stretches his arms high above his head and wanders off for watch, trying to recall why he has such a craving for honey.


End file.
